Clothes tree



W. SIHLER CLOTHES TREE Sept. 8, 1936.

Filed May 17, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. SlHL ER CLOTHES TREE Sept. 8, 1936.

Filed May 17, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLOTHES TREE William Sihler. Decorah, Iowa Application May 17, 1935, Serial No. 22,061

1 Claim. (01. 211-178)" This invention aims to provide an inverted U- shaped garment support, of adjustable width, the uprights of which may be brought together to form a single post, thereby converting the device into a tree at the will of an operator, novel means being provided for housing certain of the garment hooks, and the connections between the uprights, when the device is changed into a tree. Other objects may be attributed, Without specific enumeration, to the parts hereinafter described. The form shown and described is satisfactory, but a. mechanic may alter it, without departing from the spirit of the invention, if he keeps within the scope of what is claimed.

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation, a garment support constructed in accordance with the invention, the support being extended, and parts being in section;

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the device con verted into a tree;

Fig. 3 is a top plan, the support being extended;

Fig. 4 is a top plan, the support being converted into a tree;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing the parts as they will appear when the device is converted into tree form;

Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 6Ii of Fi 5;

Fig. 7 is a composite view, in perspective, disclosing one of the supporting elements and the socket that receives it detachably.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing details of the connection that joins the posts.

The garment support that characterizes this application comprises standards I. Each standard I includes a base 2 and an upright 3 fixed to the base at the inner edge of the base. The base 2 is carried on castors 50. On its inner side, one post 3 has projections 4. The projections 4 are adapted to be received in seats 5 in the other post, when the posts are brought together to form a tree, as in Figs. 2 and 5. The projections 4 and the seats 5 serve to keep the posts 3 in alignment, when the posts are brought together.

On the inner side of each post 3, near to the upper end thereof, there is a longitudinal recess 6. Notches 8 are formed in the posts 3, near to the lower ends of the recesses 6. Tapered sockets 9 are secured to the forward sides of the posts 3. The sockets 9 are shaped to receive the tapered feet I of removable upstanding suspension elements II, adapted to receive a coat or hat.

The posts 3 are joined, near to their upper ends, by a connection I2. The connection I2 embodies two bar-like members I4. The outer ends of the bars I4 are pivoted at I to the posts 3, within the recesses 6. Oppositely-extending brackets I6 are secured to the inner end portion of each bar I4. The bracket I6 of one bar I4 5 engages the upper edge of the other bar. Therefore, the bar I4 cannot knuckle down on the pivot elements I5, in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 1. The bracket I6 of each bar I4 has a depending flange I1 overlapping the outer sur- 10 face of the other bar I4 and preventing the bars from separating horizontally. The brackets I6 afiord a means whereby the connection I2 is made longitudinally extensible, at the will of an operator, so that the operator can have a Wide garment support, or a narrow one, as his taste dictates, the construction of the device being such that it can be used to advantage in a spacious house, or in a small one.

There are vertical elongated slots I8 in the bars I4. Fulcrum members I9, such as pins, are mounted in the bars I4 and extend across the slots I8. Garment hangers 20 are located in the slots I8 and are mounted intermediate their ends to swing on the fulcrum members I9. Each garment carrier 20 is provided at its upper end with a hat peg 2|, and at its lower end with a hook 22 or the like. Coat hangers (not shown) may be suspended from the hooks 22.

The function of the various hat and garment carriers will be obvious at a glance, and may be dismissed with the statement that if the operator does not wish to have the suspension elements II of Fig. 7, he can remove them.

As to the extensible and contractible features of the device, the operator may push the posts 3 toward each other, or pull them apart, varying the length of the connection I2 and the number of garment carriers 20 that are in working position. When the posts 3 are moved toward each other, the brackets I6 engage the hat pegs 2| and swing the garment carriers 20, one at a time, into housed position, within the slots I8.

If the tree form of Fig. 2 is preferred, the inner ends of the bars I4 of the connection I2 first are swung upwardly, to free the bracket I6 of one bar from the other bar. Each bar I4 then is swung down on the pivot element I5, until the bar is housed in the recess 6 of the corresponding post 3, the garment hangers 20 swinging automatically into vertical position in the slots l8 of the bar, although the garment hanger can be moved into that position by hand, should there be some friction between the garment hanger and the bars. After the bars I4 are housed in the recesses 6, the posts 3 may be moved into contact, as in Figs. 2 and 5, the projections 4 of one post entering the seats 5 of the other post, and a stable, compact clothes tree being provided, the suspension elements on the clothes tree being the parts I I, as Fig. 2 will disclose. The purpose of the notches 8 in the posts 3 of Fig. 1 is to receive the brackets l6, when the article is arranged in the tree form of Fig. 2.

One of the chief virtues of the device is that it is readily adaptable to the size or the room in which it is used, and finds favor equally with the owners of small or large houses.

What is claimed is:

A garment support comprising standards, a connection including bars pivoted at their outer ends to the standards, whereby the bars may be folded downwardly to permit the standards to be brought together to form a clothes tree, the bars being provided with elongated slots, means extended across the upper edges of the bars, and leaving the slots open at the bottom, for joining the inner ends of the bars together releasably, and for relative sliding movement to permit the standards to be disposed at different distances from each other, and garment hangers located in the slots and extended below the bars, the hangers being pivoted intermediate their ends to the bars, the hangers extending upwardly above the bars, to form upstanding hat pegs, the hangers being of such width that they will be housed in the slots, in parallel relation to the bars, when the bars are folded as aforesaid, said means engaging the upstanding hat pegs, to swing the hangers and the hat pegs into the slots when the standards are moved toward each other.

WILLIAM SIHLER. 

